Canada and Islamic Identity

public identity: In a new collection of essays, The Relevance of Islamic Identity in Canada , a group of Canadian authors grapples with idea of Islamic Identity, according to Vancouver Observer. What does it mean to be a Muslim in Canada Is it a public identity, and as an identity is it compatible with a secular democracy such as Canada What relation does it bear to historical, cultural, and ethnic identities Is a total gnostic or an atheist a Muslim Is a person who disavows being a Muslim still a Muslim How do Muslims cope with anti-Muslim bigotry, especially when it goes "official" What alterations in society and religious practice and what re-thinking of interpretation can one expect in its evolution These are some of the questions posed on the book jacket. To be a Muslim in post 9-11 Canada, is particularly complex. At the dialogue, discussion and book launch being hosted at Simon Fraser University Woodward on Thursday, March 3 from 7-9 PM; editor Nurjehan Aziz from Toronto and three of the authors, Ameen Merchant from Vancouver, Safia Fazlul from Toronto and Mohamed Abualy Alibhai from Vancouver/ Seattle, will articulate their thoughts about Islamic Identity and engage with the audience in a discussion hosted by Zool Suleman. Of the three authors the essays by Safia Fazlul "An Incompetent Muslim" and Ameen Merchant "Identity Fragments" fall in to the first group, while Mohamed Abualy Alibhai essay "The Future of Islam in Canada" clearly tries to chart out a forward looking trajectory for faith in Canada. The collection of essays fall into three broad categories: identity/memoir journeys; dissections of Islamophobia and state/media power; and identity projects/future trajectories. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.